Thill for carriages



(No Model.)

H. B. STURGES.

- l. THILL POR GARRIIAGBS. 'Na 563,091. Patented June 30A, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY B.' STURGES, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

THILL FOR CARRIAG ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,091, dated June 30, 1896.

Application nea Aprn zo, 1896.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. STURGEs, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Shafts or Thills for Carriages andI do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanyin g drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure l, a plan view of a pair of shafts constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a broken view of one of the shafts in side elevation; Fig. 3, a broken sectional view of one of the shafts on the line a b of Fig. l; Fig. 4., a view of the thill in cross-section on the lines c d of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a similar view on the line e f thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in shafts or thills for carriages and wagons, the object being to produce, at a comparatively low cost, shafts or thills of superior strength and durability.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a sectional shaft or thill composed of a tapering tubular metal horn-shaped shaftiron forming its rear end, and a body portion or reach formed from wood.

My invention further consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

As herein shown, the tapering tubular metal horn-shaped shaft-iron A of each shaft is provided at its rear end with a transversely-arranged eye A for the reception of the horizontal bolt, by means of which the shaft is connected with the running-gear of the vehicle. The forward end of the shaft-iron is made open and constitutes a socket for the reception of the tenon B, formed at the rear end of the body portion or reach B of the thill, the said body portion being made of wood in the required form. A transverse pin B2, passing through the forward end of the shaft-iron and through the tenon, firmly secures the shaft-iron and body portion together. A metal strap C is passed around the shaft-iron at a point well forward of its longitudinal center, and firmly secured there- Serial No. 588,260. (No model.)

to, its ends being concave-convex, and eX- tended laterally inward to form a socket for the reception of the cross-barD, which unites the two thills or shafts together, and which is secured to the said ends of the straps by means of pins d.

Preferably, and as herein shown, I provide each thill with a concavo-convex metal Wearing-plate E, the. outer end of which is let into a longitudinal recess b, formed in the outer face of the rear end of the body or reach of the thill, to which it is secured by long rivets E. The rear end of this plate is reduced in thickness, let into a recess b', formed in the outer face of the tenon, and extended into the forward end of the shaft iron, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. This plate has the twofold function of forming a wearing-surface, and also of reinforcing and strengthening the joint of the thill, and giving continuity thereto by bridging, so to speak, the line of demarcation betweenA the comparatively rigid shaft-iron and the elastic reach.

It is apparent that in carrying out my invention some changes in the form herein shown and described may be made,`and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A sectional thill or shaft having a tapering tubular metal horn-shaped shaft-iron constituting its rear end, and a body portion or reach made of wood and having its rear end inserted into the open forward end of the horn-shaped shaft-iron, substantially as described.

2. A sectional thill having a tapering tubular metal horn-shaped shaft-iron, a wood body portion or reach having its rear end inserted into the open forward end of the hornshaped shaft-iron, and a strap passed around the shaft-iron and forming a socket for one end of the cross-bar which unites the two thills, substantially as described.

3. A sectional thill having a tapering tubular metal horn-shaped shaft-iron, a Wood body portion or reach constructed at its rear IOO end with a tenon which is inserted into the open forward end of the horn-shaped sha-ftir`on, and a wearing-plate applied to the rear' end of the wood body portion and to the said shaft-iron thereof, and extending into the shaft-iron for reinforcing the thill at the joint between the said parts, substantially as `set forth.

HENRY B. STURGES.

Yitnesses J. H. SHUMWAY, LILLIAN D. KELsEY. 

